The Vietnamese People at First Glance

Our first week in Vietnam has certainly opened my eyes to a completely different world than I have ever experienced, or thought I would experience in my lifetime. Although I have been out of the United States before, the people, landscapes, culture, and food here are truly unique. Our experience so far has also been very unique in the sense that our 3 destinations have been polar opposites in terms of the physical landscapes. The bustling and crowded city of Hanoi lies in stark contrast to the peaceful mountainous region, which lies in stark contrast to the stunningly beautiful, moderately commercialized Halong Bay.
The only constant throughout our travels have been the vivacious, hard working, Vietnamese people. Since the moment I arrived in Vietnam, the sheer will to make a living that can be seen no matter where you go here has truly amazed me. In Hanoi, you cant walk more than ten feet without someone offering to sell you a lighter or shine your shoes and they are truly relentless in there attempt to make a sale. These men and women in Hanoi work around the countless families who have set up shop in store fronts and mobile stations in which you can find nearly anything, from food to stereos. In the mountainous regions we passed dozens of merchants that would be lucky to see five customers a day, yet they patiently waited for there opportunity to make a sale. In Halong Bay, I stepped out of the shower this morning and found an elderly woman on a small boat attempting to sell me water through the window of my room. Many of these Vietnamese people had one major thing in common. They appeared to be genuinely happy, and simply enjoying their life and the fact that they had an opportunity to make a living. Throughout Vietnam, these merchants can most often be seen smiling, enjoying the company of friends and family, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to make a sale, or even just practice their English in conversation.
What struck me most about this is that I feel a lot of the times, I find myself asking the wrong questions. Questions such as, why isn’t Hanoi more modern? Why do a lot of the Vietnamese people settle for barely getting by? Why aren’t they taking advantageous of potential tourists through commercialization and modernization? What I have come to realize is that maybe the Vietnamese people don’t feel the need to change right away. Many of them are happy just like they are, whether that be selling goods or services on the street or leading tourist expeditions. It has made me truly realize that material goods and money are undeniably not the only way to achieve happiness. When you walk down the streets of Hanoi, you see the Vietnamese people enjoying each other’s company, laughing and talking with emotion and happiness. When you walk down Wall Street in New York City, where many of the people have an infinite amount of money relative to the Vietnamese, you see emotionless faces, people that appear to be more stressed out than happy about life. If you had asked me which of these groups of people is better off two weeks ago, I would have certainly said the latter, however, Vietnam has altered my mindset, and now I am honestly not sure.

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